‘I’m one of them’ – badminton’s Sindhu soars in rich list

Jakarta: India’s PV Sindhu is yet to win a world or Olympic title, and competes in the unglamorous sport of badminton. Yet at just 23, she has been listed as the world’s seventh highest paid sportswoman — news that she greets with a smile, but not surprise.

Speaking to AFP at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Sindhu said she was delighted to place so high on the Forbes rich list, behind six well-known tennis players with Serena Williams at number one.

“Well it feels good and nice and happy about it. When I saw the news then it was like, okay, I am one of them,” Sindhu told AFP.

“The money always goes to the bank so not much account on that, but I think just to be in that list with some top names is reason enough to smile,” she said.

Sindhu became a household name in her home country, population 1.3 billion, after the 2016 Olympics, when she became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal.

It brought a flood of endorsements, from sports drinks to mobile phones to car tyres. According to media company Forbes, she earned $8.5 million between June 2017 and June 2018, including $8 million from sponsorships and $500,000 in prize money.